A Paris court has temporarily blocked the auction of La Pascaline, one of the world’s earliest mechanical calculators, preventing its export from France. Auction house Christie’s, which had planned to sell the 1642 device for an estimated €2–3 million, confirmed it has suspended the sale. The calculator, developed by Blaise Pascal when he was just 19, is considered one of the most significant scientific instruments in history, with only nine known examples remaining.

The decision follows a legal appeal from scientists and heritage groups who argued that the machine should be designated a French “national treasure.” The court expressed “serious doubts” about the legality of the export certificate previously issued by the culture minister, which had been approved by experts including one from the Louvre. Until a final ruling is delivered, the export authorisation remains frozen.

La Pascaline had been showcased in New York and Hong Kong as part of Christie’s auction of collector Léon Parcé’s library, which also featured Pascal’s philosophical works. Heritage advocates welcomed the court’s move, noting the calculator’s immense historic value and its place as the first known attempt to mechanise human computation.

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